Tossed to the Wind
by SamxXxBluePulser
Summary: AU. Six teens, who are mostly complete strangers to each other, are shipwrecked on an island of unknown location. Once they realize escape is futile, they must depend on each other to survive, even if it means putting aside deep rivalries, mixed feelings for another, and the urge to end the hopeless situation they are all stuck in. M'gann/Conner, Jaime/Bart, Tim/Gar. T for language
1. Prologue

**New story! It's an AU, so no powers or anything like that, as stated in the summary ;P And this is only short because it's the prologue. Characters described here are also the ones mentioned in the summary :D**

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The island was small and hot. They didn't want to venture into the jungle, or forest, or whatever it was called for fear of wild predators, but they were starving. It had been almost an hour since all 6 of them woke up, and all were almost out of energy. There was a pale girl with wide amber eyes, who was nursing a gash on her arm, and a young boy with pale green eyes standing close to her and looking nervously around. A tall Hispanic teen had a frown on his face as he stared at the jungle, eyes narrowed. A muscular ebony with hard blue eyes was standing apart from the group, looking out to the ocean. A boy who had the same looks as him, but had a much slender frame and small face wore a blank expression, not moving from his seated position in the sand. The last person was a boy who was unconscious and laying on the sand. He had messy auburn hair, his eyelids coated with a layer of sand. No one touched him or helped him, though the Hispanic male sent a slightly worried look in his direction.

They didn't have any help. No one even knew what ocean the island was in, though none of them were making efforts to communicate with each other, especially not the glaring ebony. The little boy gave a slight smile to who was probably his sister, who ruffled his hair despite her ripped dress and dozens of bruises. The slender, blue-eyed boy stood up and walked away, heading in the direction of the jungle. No one stopped him.

What was the point of getting to know a bunch of people when you're all going to die anyway?

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**Leave a review please :)**

**~samx**


	2. Communicating

**Next chapter :D thanks for reviewing guys! Read on and enjoy~**

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"We have to stick together."

At first, no one heard her because her voice was so soft, and the wind blowing drowned out any words. She repeated herself, a little stronger this time, and this time the Hispanic teen looked over, his dark eyes sad. the other boy was halfway to the jungle/forest by now, and no ne was making any effort to stop him.

"That—that won't help, _hermana_," he sighed, his eyes running over the unconscious boy once more.

"At least let's try. You wake him up and I'll talk to the others, ok?" M'gann said, amber eyes determined, and he nodded.

"My name's M'gann by the way," she added.

"Jaime," he offered with a smile before walking over to the unconscious boy. He frowned upon noticing how his face was scrunched up in pain, his muscles tense and stiff. He shook the other boy lightly, who immediately jumped to his feet, gasping. Sweat ran down his face as his bright emerald eyes took in Jaime.

M'gann looked down at her little brother and gave him a reassured smile. He nervously fingered the silver locket around his neck. She walked and stopped in front of the muscled teenager. He cast her a disdainful look before returning to gaze to the ocean. She felt her confidence melt at the feeling of being ignored, but pushed it away and asked cheerfully, "What's your name?"

"Conner. And I'd really appreciate if you'd get the hell away from me." He stated in a very icy tone.

"I—" M'gann was shocked at his tone and how rude he was. Embarrassed, she fiddled with the ends of her ripped dress and bit her lip, wondering how to deal with Conner. Maybe she could try a different approach?

"Look, we need to—" she began.

"I know you're trying to survive and all that, but don't drag me into your cute little plan," he snapped, blue eyes like lasers. She swallowed, giving him a slightly scared look, and walked back to where to Gar was standing. He was looking out at the slender ebony who had vanished from sight. She sighed wearily and sat on the soft sand, the hopelessness of her situation finally setting in.

Meanwhile, Jaime was trying to stop the boy from freaking out. His green eyes were wide and seeing some kind of nightmare, as he kept kicking out crazily, his breaths ragged and uneven.

"_Ese_, calm down! I just want to talk!" Jaime finally yelled, dodging a punch that was thrown in his direction. At the sound of his voice, the boy seemed to calm down, plopping down and wrapping his arms around his knees. He took a few deep breaths, tears visible in his eyes.

"Are you ok?" Jaime asked softly, crouching down as well. He didn't know why, but rivers of pity ran through him deepener than they had for anyone else, even Cassie. Her name sent a jolt of pain through his body.

"Y-yeah. Sorry. So not crash," the boy mumbled, brushing a dirty strand of auburn hair out of his face and giving a half-smile to Jaime. The Hispanic male's browns furrowed when his eyes focused on a dark bruise on the younger boy's shoulder. It started in the front and trailed down his back, he assumed.

"It's nothing. 'M Bart, by the way. And you have really pretty eyes. oh god did I just say that out loud? I didn't mean to but you really do, they look like chocolate. And where re we? Oh. Yeah. Shipwreck, deserted island, I think we all know how this is going to end up. I'm hungry. Sorry, am I rambling?" Bart's clear green eyes blinked innocently. A grin broke out on Jaime's face.

"Yup. It's ok though," he answered, his mind still pondering the thought that Bart thought his eyes were pretty. Did he really mean it…?

"Crash! Who are you, anyway?" the green-eyed boy asked, standing up and brushing sand off himself.

"Oh, right. I'm Jaime. Nice to meet you," Jaime smiled, revealing a set of dazzling white teeth.

"Cool name! How long have I been out? Who are all these people? Damn, that guy looks like he might punch someone…hey! I'm hungry. Do you—"

"You're rambling again, ese," the Hispanic teen grinned, then motioned him over to where M'gann sat, looking miserable.

"This is Bart," he introduced, and she looked up, smiling a bit.

"I'm M'gann," she said, and he grinned at her, green eyes turning to the boy next to her.

"And this is Garfield, my little brother," M'gann added, and he waved a little, though his pale eyes were wary.

"That's Conner, but I don't advise you to—"

Bart raced over to where he was.

"—talk to him. He isn't very friendly," she finished, biting her lip in worry as the auburn-haired boy asked, "Hey! Why do you look so angry?"

Conner turned his steel gaze on him, but Bart seemed unaffected as he bounced up and down, waiting for an answer. The older boy, thankfully, was amused by the energy of him, and his lip curved into a slight smirk.

"Because we're stuck on an island will probable die horrible deaths. Why are you so happy?" Conner said.

"Because I'm away from the person who makes my life hell." Bart replied, and for a second, his cheerful mask fell, and a very bitter look passed over his face. But then he regained his composure and grinned at the older boy.

"Does anyone know the boy who left?" M'gann finally asked, biting her lip. She didn't expect anyone to, so she was surprised when Jaime uttered, "Yes," in an acidic tone.

"How—"

"I don't want to say. But if he gets near me, I _will _tear him apart," he promised through gritted teeth. Bart looked stunned at the pure venom in the usually gentle teen's voice.

"Ok then…" M'gann's eyes narrowed in confusion, but by the frustrated and upset look in Jaime's eyes, she decided not to push the subject.

"Why doesn't your brother talk? Is he shy or just plain stupid?" Conner pointed out bluntly, not feeling any remorse when M'gann glared at him. Garfield turned a shade paler and moved behind his sister.

"He's mute." She said simply, ruffling his hair and giving him a light smile. Conner blinked, not expecting that answer at all. Regret flashed over his face before he dipped his chin, knowing he should apologize. Gar cast a glance at Bart, who gave him a huge smile.

"How?" the green-eyed boy asked curiously, regretting his words almost immediately when Gar's blue eyes darkened and his hands curled into fists.

"Never mind, ehehe…." Bart mumbled, looking sheepish

"So. We're stuck on this island for at least a couple of days until someone finds us. And we need to find food or we'll all die," M'gann stated, sounding serious, and there were various murmurs and nods of agreement from them.

"I think we should go after Tim. I mean, that's where the food is, right?" Jaime questioned; all he got were blank stares from everyone.

"Tim?" Bart asked in confusion.

"Oh, right. The guy who walked off," Jaime explained, dark fire burning in his eyes.

"So we're going to venture into a mysterious jungle/forest/woods where there are most likely several dangerous animals that will attempt to eat us; there is a limited supply of food we might never find; and we're choosing this option?" Bart asked, his voice incredulous.

"Basically. You ready to start the party, red?" Conner smirked; Bart looked down at his ripped red tracksuit and grinned back, saying, "Oh, but I am the party."

Gar looked nervous as he clung to his older sister, flinching away from Conner, who walked behind them. Jaime and Bart followed them, and all 5 headed in the direction of the jungle, not knowing what—or who—was awaiting them.

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**Review and tell me what you think? The next chapter will have a lot of talking, so you'll know everyone's history and the Jaime and Tim drama hehe ;)**

**~samx**


	3. Close Call

**Next chapter! And no Tim, I'm sorry :( next chapter, I swear on my Superman shirt!**

**Enjoy~**

"It's hot," Bart groaned for the 5th time that minute. Conner's eye twitched.

"We haven't even entered the jungle," he pointed out sharply, and the younger boy winced, looking down as he took a few quick steps forward.

"I know. I just…don't like the heat." Bart explained, and Jaime narrowed his eyes in suspicion; it seemed more of fear than dislike that he was talking about.

M'gann just sighed, her feet starting to burn thanks to the increasingly hot sand. She started to walk faster, the first trees just ten feet away. Garfield glanced nervously behind him; his eyes locked with steely blue, and he snapped his head forward, breathing uneven.

"Calm," M'gann touched his shoulder lightly, hoping he wouldn't have another panic attack. Especially after the anniversary of their mom's death. Gar had such a bad attack that his heart stopped beating for a few seconds.

He took a deep breath and relaxed, his hand still grasping her arm. She gave him a little smile before craning her head back to stare at the trees.

"Ready, everyone?" Jaime asked grimly, and everyone nodded. He stepped in front of M'gann, and Bart followed him, like a lost puppy. Conner rolled his eyes, but his shoulders were tense as he peered between the two tall trees.

It seemed like steam was rolling off from the entire jungle, it was so hot. Jaime hesitated, his dark eyes darting back to look at the 4, before bravely entering the jungle. Bart swallowed hard, feeling his heart beat faster in fear as a cloud of fog descended upon them; it felt like the heat was enveloping him in a tight embrace.

He didn't even know he was choking until Jaime said urgently, "Bart! Breath, _ese_!"

He took a deep breath and looked around, emerald eyes dropping their gaze in embarrassment. He relaxed when he felt a hand on his shoulder, somehow knowing it was Jaime.

"You ok?" the Hispanic male asked softly, concerned, and all the auburn-haired boy could do was nod, waving his hand to motion they should keep walking. Jaime sighed before taking more steps. The trees were huge, with thick tree trunks.

The canopy was dark green and covered the sky. As soon as the group had reached a clearing surrounded by short palm trees, the sky was completely blocked by the fronds, branches, and leaves.

"I think we should look for food and water first," M'gann said, and Bart nodded, looking down at his thin stomach.

"I agree! Um…how about these berries?" Bart picked off some bright purple dots off a nearby bush and was about to pop them in his mouth when Conner smacked them out of his hand.

"Are you insane? Do you have a bloody death wish?" he hissed, his blue eyes dark with anger. Bart flinched back at the contact. Conner ran an hand through his short black hair and gave him the evil eye.

"There are certain berries you can eat, and this is not one of them. If you get poisoned, you die. There aren't any hospitals or antidotes," he growled, crossing his arms and lecturing the group. His blue eyes were light again, as if enjoying teaching them.

"How do you know all this?" M'gann asked slowly, amber eyes narrowed. He just shrugged, his eyes closing up again and becoming that steely shade again. She sighed; the cerulean color was rather nice, and she didn't know why he had to keep hiding it. Gar notice her staring and tugged lightly on her ruined dress sleeve.

"So, what berries can we eat?" Jaime questioned. He fiddled with a thread on his blue jacket; his pants were ripped and dirty and now resembled shorts. It was worse than Conner's; his black shirt was shredded and his jeans all white thanks to the salty water.

"A few. I don't see them yet." Conner replied in a clipped tone. The group fell silent for a while; birdcalls and animal growls echoed throughout the jungle, and the faint sound of howling was heard.

Gar opened his mouth then closed it, his wide green eyes focusing on something high up in the trees.

The rest of the group was discussing which direction to go; M'gann didn't even notice him tugging on her sleeve as she made suggestions to the group.

Gar's eyes widened even more as he stared into a pair of fierce gold eyes. he yanked even harder on his sister's sleeve, and she whirled around impatiently.

"What, Garfield?" she asked in annoyance. He couldn't speak, but that didn't matter; a silent scream was erupting in his chest as those eyes dropped even lower, and in the darkness of the far off branch, he could make out the outline of powerful hind legs and a thick body.

The eyes disappeared, and Garfield began shaking in fear. He licked his dry lips and tugged hard on her sleeve. She ignored him this time, and his heart jumped in his throat as he saw the eyes appear again, much closer. In fact, they were so close that he could now see the black spots on its lean body.

He stumbled back, seeing the legs tense; the jaguar positioned himself into a crouch, and he knew it was going to attack. So he did the only thing he knew would get M'gann's attention, even though it caused him much pain.

He screamed.

Or tried to, at least. It felt like someone was starting a fire in his chest, but it was worth it. The hoarse, cracking, terrible noise made everyone look straight at him. All he did was point in the vague direction of the animal before hacking up his last dinner on the ship.

"No one move…" Conner warned; he had seen the jaguar as well. He glared at Gar, as if it was his fault.

"Why should we—oh!" Bart quickly fell silent. A look of distress passed over Jaime's face as he instinctively pulled him behind him. The gold eyes blinked and then suddenly, with astonishing speed, the animal was right in front of them.

M'gann gave a little shriek of terror, and the jaguar cocked its head. Conner swore under his breath, moving back slowly as to not startle the animal. Gar was frozen; he stepped back on a little branch and broke it. The jaguar's eyes locked on the small boy, and it crouched, tail lazily moving back and forth.

Everyone was basking in their own fear as they stared at the animal with horrified eyes. They were waiting for it to leap and attack, to maim and to kill. Of course, Jaime had other ideas, the fool. He took one cautious step forward, his hand slowly delving into his pocket for something.

"Idiot," Conner mumbled under his breath, shaking his head slightly as he tried to figure out what the teen was doing. It all became clear when he pulled out a pocketknife and waved it around.

The jaguar raised a paw and batted at the reflecting light, its jaws opening in a snarl. M'gann gulped as she noticed its sharp teeth and huge jaws. Conner grabbed onto M'gann and Bart and carefully began to move them backwards. Gar was clutching onto her, so he also was dragged back.

Jaime threw the knife past the jaguar, which turned around and immediately disappeared in search of the object. The teen turned around and ran; he was followed by the other 4. They crashed through the jungle, hearts in their mouths, legs burning and aching, heads spinning, and finally stopped near a small river.

"Genius…Jaime…" M'gann managed to wheeze out, her brown hair falling into her face as she bent over. Conner wasn't wheezing that badly, but he was still out of breath. Jaime was panting lightly, but Bart was perfectly alright.

"Seriously, you're freaking amazing," he exclaimed to Jaime, green eyes joyful, and Jaime blushed slightly, brushing it off.

"It's nothing…but I regret losing the knife," he sighed. Bart grinned at Garfield, who had his eyes closed and was shaking in fear. He was the youngest out of the group, probably 13 or 14.

"Thank god Gar warned us in time!" the auburn-haired boy added, patting him on the back. Gar opened an eye and cracked a tiny smile before his gaze fell upon a glaring Conner. He winced and shrunk against his sister, who put a hand on her hip and began to browbeat him.

"Stop glaring at my brother. It isn't his fault he didn't warn us before. If it wasn't for him, we'd all be dead! And I don't know who you think you are! Just because you know some survival tips doesn't mean you're suddenly the king of the jungle! So please, back off!" she yelled, her amber eyes crackling in fury.

Conner was stunned as he stared at the enraged girl. Garfield was signaling furiously to her, but she wasn't watching. Her eyes were locked on the teen she had delivered the rant to, waiting for an answer.

He opened his mouth and then closed it. She tapped her foot, eyes narrowed. He finally sighed.

"Ok, you got me. I'm sorry."

"Apologize to him."

"I'm sorry, Garfield."

"Is that it?"

"Yeah."

Jaime and Bart listened to the banter, laughing softly under their breaths. Gar's eyebrows were furrowed as he gestured to M'gann.

"Good point. He says we take a look at the river," she translated. All eyes turned to the small river, filled halfway with small rocks. The water seemed pretty clear, but one could never be too safe.

"So, who's going to be out tester?" Bart joked.

"I will," Conner said, stepping forward and kneeling by the river. He cupped his hands and submerged them, then took a few sips from his hands.

"Well, _ese_?" Jaime cocked an eyebrow and waited for the answer.

"It's ok. Now we need to purify it," Conner finally answered, tilting his head to the side.

"With what?" Bart asked.

"Spit."

**Please review guys ;***

**~samx**


	4. Meeting and Splitting

**Blah, blah, blah. I know I write slow .**

**Read on~**

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"Spit?" Bart repeated, looking partly confused and partly curious.

Conner nodded, kneeling by the river, careful not to cut himself on the sharp rocks that were strewed on the bank. He stared at the water, dipped a finger in it, and frowned.

"What is it?" Jaime asked, chewing on his bottom lip.

"The water is pretty clean." The ebony stepped away, thinking hard. Garfield was signaling something to his sister, who shook her head and frowned.

Conner bent down to scoop some water into his mouth, and was about to splash his face when a soft voice said, "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Bart jumped a few feet in the air, Garfield flinched, and Conner tensed, but Jaime just sighed and answered, "And why not, Tim?"

The slender blue-eyed ebony stepped out from between two berry bushes, eyes narrowed in suspicion as they trailed over M'gann's concerned amber eyes and Gar's questioning look.

"Fancy meeting you here." Tim smiled, but it was forced.

"You dare show your face here, _ese_?" Jaime spitted out the words, dark eyes flashing. Bart shifted nervously, moving quickly and shoving him back as he lunged for Tim.

"You could never control yourself, hm?" the ebony laughed mirthlessly, and Jaime yanked his arm away from Bart, glaring.

"Calm down." Conner instructed the enraged Hispanic male strictly, and then turned his attention to the slender teen.

"Why shouldn't I drink the water?" he asked, and Tim blinked, tilting his head to the side.

"Piranhas. The 'wolves of the water.' These ones seem to love human blood." He grimaced, and for the first time, everyone noticed his left leg was bent slightly. A vicious gash tore the pale skin, and the dried blood crusted around his ankle.

"Do you want me to patch it up?" Conner asked reluctantly after a while, and Tim shook his head.

"Well, this seems to be the only source of water. It widens out into a much larger pool, but that's over the edge of a hill, which I don't think is a good idea to venture over." Tim explained.

"That settles it then. We're going over that edge." Jaime bit down hard on his lip and glared around at the group, unsettled eyes landing on Tim.

"We?" M'gann asked nervously, glancing at Conner for help. He just stared blankly ahead before his features morphed into those of admiration.

"You can't go alone. Someone has to stay with them." He jerked his head in direction of M'gann and Garfield.

"You stay then. I'll go with Jaime." Bart spoke out, trembling slightly. He covered it up with a huge grin.

"It'll be fun, like an adventure!" he exclaimed, but his eyes were dull. Tim seemed to pick up on it, but ignored it.

"For first impressions, I wasn't that memorable—"

"To her you were." Jaime cut in, eyes on fire.

"Timothy Drake." The ebony offered, smiling faintly.

"Conner."

"M'gann, and my little brother Garfield."

"Bart Allen, but you can call me whatever, it's all crash." The younger boy grinned. Jaime rolled his eyes playfully, tension seeping out of his body.

"I don't think we should split up," M'gann voiced her thoughts out loud, her tone worried.

"As long as the two groups stick together, we'll be fine." Tim nodded, agreeing with Conner.

"I'm going with you." He said quietly to Jaime. The Hispanic male's face hardened as he retorted, "What makes you think I want you along, _ese_?"

"Nothing. But I know the path already, so I can guide you."

"Fine."

"Good."

Both teen's voices were bitter, and Garfield looked confused as he stared between them. Bart also looked puzzled, forgetting his fear of not surviving.

"Uh, what happened between you two?" he finally questioned.

"Nothing."

"Everything."

Jaime and Tim glared at each other, until the ebony huffed, "This is pointless." His pale cheeks were flushed light pink, out of character. Conner crossed his arms and locked his laser gaze on them.

"Whatever happened was in the past. Cry a river, build a bridge, and get over it. You two better not act like helpless little girls, and if Bart gets hurt, it's all on you two. Understand?" the muscular teen was rewarded by two quick nods.

"Then get going."

Bart flashed a genuine smile at Conner, touched by his words, and then grabbed Jaime's arm as they began walking. The dark-eyed teen looked down at him and grinned slightly before turning into another clearing. This one was surrounded by sharp rocks, and the whistling of wind echoed through it.

"That way leads to the ocean. A two hundred foot drop." Tim pointed to the left.

"That way has many trees with claw marks, so I avoided it." He pointed straight ahead of them.

"And that was follows the river." He pointed to their lower right.

"Got it." Jaime set off at a brisk pace, tugging Bart along with him. Tim led the way, heading between a tall, thin tree and a short stubby one.

After a while, with Conner and M'gann stealing awkward looks at each other and Garfield trying to motion something to her. He stamped his foot on the leafy ground—and fell down twenty feet.

"Gar!" M'gann screamed, almost falling as well. Her heel caught on the edge. Her hair flipped backwards and her amber eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.

Conner grabbed her arm and pulled her back with such force that they both toppled back. Scratching noises and the crack of twigs floated up from the hole, but all M'gann could focus on was the bright, open blue of Conner's eyes.

"Uh…Garfield—he's still…" he trailed off, staring at her face and drinking in all her features. Her mobile lips, her wide amber eyes, those little freckles by the base of her nose.

A sudden banging made them both jump apart, and she rolled off of him, her throat red. His face was burning bright pink, and he got to his feet, offering her a hand. That extended into a two-minute staring contest, making Garfield even more frustrated. He banged the thick branch against the walls of the space he was in, and then gave up, dropping it to the floor.

Looking around, Garfield noticed that the walls were plastered with leaves and the floor soft dirt. He craned his neck to look up at dim light, a long way up. It was almost impossible to climb out of the hole, as it was ten by six feet. Or, at least he predicted it was.

"Gar? Are you ok?"

he looked up at the sound of M'gann's voice and nodded, still slightly annoyed. Her face was still flushed from her moment with Conner, but also filled with worry for her younger brother.

"We'll get you out of there, I promise." Conner's head appeared next to hers, his voice reassuring. Then they both disappeared, probably thinking up a plan. Garfield sighed and was about to sit down when he heard a rustling noise. His head snapped to the side and his gaze fell upon a sleek, gold and black rope. It was shiny and thin at one end, thick in the center, and small and rounded at the other end.

Wait…ropes didn't have a tongue. Or two beady black eyes.

Garfield opened up his mouth to scream as the snake reared its head back and struck, lightning fast. But instead of biting him, its body wrapped around him tightly, squeezing him. He couldn't breath after a few seconds. The snake flicked out its tongue and hissed again, its huge body coiling around the defenseless boy.

Black spots danced across Gar's vision, his horrified thoughts quickly vanishing as his knees gave in, his eyes rolled back, and darkness washed over him.

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**Rushed this at the end, sorry about that. Whadya think? Good? Bad? Will I kill off Garfield? Should I?**

**Review!**

**~samx**


	5. Unknown

**This took a while; oops! It's a bit short, but straight to the point.**

**Read on~**

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"So that's the drop."

Tim, Jaime, and Bart all stared down at the edge of the hill. Jaime had a determined expression etched across his face; Bart looked terrified; and Tim looked weary, as if he had done this many times.

It was very steep, but about 40 feet below they could make out an azure ribbon weaving around the trees far below, emptying into a large pool. Bart gulped, wondering how they were going to get down there.

"How will we get down?" Jaime asked, voicing Bart's thoughts. Tim paused, thinking for a second, before shoving Bart hard. The brunette gasped as he stumbled and fell right off the edge.

Jaime's eyes widened and his jaw dropped as he peered over the edge, hearing Bart scream and watching as his body disappeared, not into the water. He turned to Tim with fire in his dark eyes, kicking and punching him hard.

The ebony winced as the first blow struck his shoulder, hard. He avoided the rest, ducked under Jaime's open arm, and twisted his arm back. The Hispanic male gave a cry of pain and crumpled to his knees.

"He'll be fine. Your turn now." Tim said steadily, dragging him to the edge. Jaime lashed out, but was thrown over as well. He opened his mouth to scream as he tumbled through the air, the warm air rushing into his wide mouth and his nose and his ears, seeming to suffocate him. He flipped a few times, catching glimpses of green and blue before he hit the ground with a splash and a thud.

Groaning, he rolled onto his back to find that he had fell into the banks of the river, a bit away from the main pool. He was dripping murky water, but he didn't care. At this point, finding Bart was the most important thing on his mind.

"Bart!" Jaime yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth as he looked around for any signs of movement. Splashes echoed from the right, and he turned his head, seeing Bart kicking desperately, his green eyes frightened.

"Hey, it's ok, hermano. Just—" Jaime stopped when he realized the brunette was standing in the water, swatting at something around his legs. He squinted his eyes as he took another step forward, seeing little sparks of electricity in the shallow water.

"J-Jaime…help…" Bart whispered, not moving anymore. He glanced down in fear, the little sparks growing bigger and sparking more frequently.

"Stay still." Jaime picked up a branch and threw it about ten feet away from Bart. The little sparks vanished and then a steady but faint stream of sparks dotted the water as a few long, dark shapes slid through the water towards the branch. Jaime grabbed Bart's hand and dragged him out of the water.

His clothes were soaking wet and his face was pale. His lip quivered as he grasped Jaime's shirt tightly, burying his face into it. Jaime rubbed the younger boy's back soothingly, pulling him away from the water.

"Let's go." Tim appeared out of nowhere, looking perfectly unharmed. He wasn't wet or injured. His clothes were a little dusty. Jaime narrowed his eyes at him.

"Sure you aren't going to pitch us over another cliff?" he snarled, an arm still holding Bart protectively.

"That was the only way." Tim said simply, turning and heading for the pool of water. Jaime didn't know why Bart seemed to be so terrified of the eels, but a theory was starting to build in his head about heat and electricity, the two thing the brunette seemed to be especially afraid of.

Jaime followed Tim, pulling Bart along. The three ventured into a clearing then emerged on a ledge a few feet above the pool. Unlike what it seemed to be from way up on the hill, the current was harsh and waves slammed against the rock. Mist sprayed into their faces.

"You didn't tell us it would be like this." Bart said, eyeing the choppy water in apprehension. Tim raised his eyebrows but didn't say anything, staring down at the water.

"Don't you dare push us in." Jaime warned, shivering a little. Even though the sun hadn't started to set, he was kind of cold. The humid air made his ripped clothes stick to his body.

Tim smiled mirthlessly and peered over the edge before jumping in himself. Jaime gasped, swearing under his breath as the ebony never resurfaced. As much as he hated him, he couldn't let Tim drown.

"Stay here." He instructed Bart before jumping in as well. The water wasn't that cold, but it tore at his jacket, his hair, and his legs, pulling him down. Wait, something really was pulling him down. He opened his mouth to scream and choked on the lukewarm water as pain shot through his foot. He still had a little air left as he glanced down and nearly passed out in fright.

A enormous black shape with a long snout and rows of sharp teeth was attached to his ankle, dragging him down. He gasped in pain, choked on the water, and tried to swim up, but felt a splitting pain and let the caiman pull him down into the darkness.

* * *

"Oh my god. He's dying, he's dying!" M'gann's voice grew higher and more frantic with each word. Tears were in her eyes as she thumped on Conner's back. He was frowning deeply, watching as the snake coiled around Garfield.

"Stay here." He told her, and then jumped in. startled by the noise, the snake loosened its hold on Gar slightly. Conner took this chance to lunge forward, grabbing the snake by the neck. It thrashed in his hands, the limp body of Gar sliding to the floor. Conner banged the snake against the wall, and it too fell limp.

M'gann sighed in relief, her amber eyes locked on her brother.

"Is he ok?" she asked tearfully, afraid of the worst. Conner bent over him and checked his pulse. He flashed M'gann a thumbs up—Garfield was alive, just knocked out—and slung him over one shoulder. The ebony used little rocks as footholds to climb up the wall.

M'gann helped him up, immediately patting Gar's hair and fretting over him. He was still passed out, so the two sat by the edge—not too close though—and waited to see if Jaime, Bart, and Tim would return.

"I wonder what's taking them so long." M'gann frowned, tucking a strand of dirty brown hair behind her ear.

Conner just shrugged, not knowing either.

They had no idea Bart was alone on the edge of the water, in hysterics, Jaime was prey to a huge alligator, and Tim was currently missing.

* * *

**Drama, drama. Hehe.**

**Review please!**

**~samx**


	6. Despair

**God this is short. I'm sorry. Also, it takes a while for me to type nowadays because my stupid middle finger is swollen and it hurts too much to touch anything.**

**Also, I'm focusing a lot more on my Homestuck stories, so apologies for that.**

**Read on~**

* * *

"Jaime!" Bart screamed as the Hispanic male never resurfaced. He saw an unnatural amount of splashing near one side and a row of thick ridges appear. A cloud of red floated to the surface, and Bart screamed in despair, tears streaming down his face.

His only friend in this depressing group, and now he was gone. Whatever had gotten him—a shark, maybe—was huge and probably killed him. More tears rolled down his cheeks at the thought.

Tim had reached the bank of the pool. He hadn't told Jaime and Bart about the caiman, but since it had just eaten he knew it wouldn't attack. That it, until he glanced to the smaller ledge and saw Bart wailing. That could only mean one thing.

He swore under his breath and slicked back his hair. He didn't want Jaime dead, just for him to suffer. It was his fault Cassie—

No, it was too painful to talk about her death right now. He had to focus on Bart. He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted to the figure.

"Swim!"

Bart looked down where Tim was, about 40 feet away and shook his head. Was the ebony insane? He didn't want to die. But maybe…maybe he could help Jaime. He took one last look at the sky, wondering if it would be his last glance at the world, then dove in.

The water wasn't cold, more like warm. It felt nice, pulsing against his body. He squinted through the hazy water and suddenly something blocked his vision. He nearly swallowed a mouthful of water, but it was just a stray shoe.

A shoe?

Bart felt his throat close in panic, and he kicked up to the surface, his head popping up for a breath. He gasped, seeing he was closer to the shore than he thought. He dove back beneath the surface, using his arms and legs to propel himself through the water.

He was finally on the shore, the water and tears trailing down his cheeks in a mixed fashion. Tim took one look at him and sighed deeply.

"What got him?" Bart choked out, trying to control himself. He took a hacking breath and waited for an answer.

"Alligator." Tim said in a clipped tone.

"And you knew?" Bart demanded to know, eyes wide in shock.

"Yes. But I went in first." The ebony shrugged as if it was nothing, but a slight wince ran through his body. For the first time, Bart noticed jagged marks on Tim's side. Blood was leaking out rapidly, pooling into the shallow water of the bank.

"Oh my gosh! You need help!" Bart reached out to help, but Tim shook his head and pulled away, blue eyes unreadable.

"I'm fine."

"You've been bitten by an alligator! You aren't fine." Tim watched silently as Bart fussed over his wounds. No one had ever cared what had happened to him. Why was this stranger of a boy helping?

* * *

"So, maybe we should get to know each other?" M'gann asked after a while, breaking the silence. Conner scratched the back of his head and shrugged.

"I'll start. My favorite color is green and I like cooking, though I'm not very good at it. I like romantic things and carnival rides." She smiled.

"I like fixing cars. I work out a lot. I'm not a social butterfly like you." Conner raised n eyebrow when she laughed.

"You are like the opposite of a butterfly!" she pointed out; he looked down then back at her with a little grin.

"Oh really?"  
"You're pretty muscular, and strong, and—" she cut herself off, cheeks flushing a dark red. He blinked then reached for her hand. He wasn't one to waste time.

Their fingers entwined, and they looked at each other with sparkling eyes.

Garfield woke up at that moment, saw the sight, and wished his mind had chosen a better time to gain consciousness. He made a face and tapped his sister's arm. She jumped and blushed, dropping Conner's hand.

The blue-eyed male cocked his head for a second, apparently hearing something. There was hurried footsteps and then two boys burst out into the clearing. Bart was soaked and Tim was covered in blood. M'gann gasped.

"Are you ok, Tim? Where is Jaime?"

At this last part, Bart's face crumpled, and he turned away, shaking slightly. Tim's face hardened; he ripped off a piece from his pants and sank onto the ground, closing his eyes. he seemed to be in pain.

"How?" Conner asked bluntly, and Bart didn't answer. He turned his attention to Tim, who sighed.

"A caiman got him."

Gar gestured to his sister, who explained, "It's like an alligator."

Tim nodded to confirm it, then went back to dabbing away the blood from his side. He gritted his teeth to stop from crying out in pain. M'gann knelt by him and helped him, using a wide leaf to wipe away the blood.

Garfield watched all this with wide eyes. Something about Tim fascinated him.

"Bette?" M'gann asked in a motherly voice, and he stiffened but dipped his chin in thanks. Confused, she turned to Bart and hugged him tightly, tears in her eyes. he hugged her back, body wracking with sobs.

"I'm so sorry, Bart. I'm so sorry." She kept saying, even though it wasn't her fault. She felt terrible for the boy, who probably felt even more alone that before.

"What now?" Gar tapped on her arm, and she bit her lip, eyes darting from the injured Tim to the tense Conner.

"Rest, maybe." She rubbed Bart's back again, frowning when his cries increased in volume.

"I'll be lookout." Conner strode away without a second glance.

Divided, the four looked at each other in despair.

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**Please review, and give me some ideas?**

**~samx**


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